In opening this website, I wanted to honor my Dad, Alex Campbell.  This is the eulogy I gave at his funeral in August, 1998.

 

ALEXANDER MURRAY CAMPBELL

“Dad”

Dad was born, June 12, 1914, in a small cottage called “Inverhoolen” in the village of Tarbet on the Shores of Lock Lomond in Scotland.  In 1920, his family from emigrated from Scotland and came to America to settle in the New York City, Westchester County Area.

In America, Dad was schooled and attended New York University, as well as the New York Stock Exchange Institute.  Being from an industrious family, Dad worked during this time doing a number of things that would effect him for the rest of his life.  He worked as a caddy at the famous Winged Foot Country Club, learning the game of golf which was his love up to his passing.  Here also he was caddy champion in 1928.  The next year he caddied for Al Watrous who lost the U. S. Open golf Championship to Bobby Jones.  After that time, Spalding Golf Balls came in a dozen box with a picture on the eighteenth hole at Winged Foot, with Bobby Jones making the putt to win.  On this box there is a caddy in a blue sweater holding the flag.  That was Dad.

He worked as a runner on Wall Street for Bache and Company during the turbulent times of the depression.  Learning the ways of business he moved on to be a very successful sales representative for the Packard Motor Car Company in New York City, using the skills he had learned working with people and the contacts he had made over his earlier years. 

Dad enlisted in the Army on April 25, 1942 taking basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey where he went on the become a Drill Sergeant.  He was the assigned to the Quartermaster Office Candidate School and became a new Second Lieutenant at Fort Lee in Petersburg, Virginia.  Here is where he met Sue Randolph Harris and they were married.  After a short time together, Dad was assigned overseas where he remained until after World War Two.

His first duties were in England carrying a number of assignments such as running supply depots preparing for the Normandy Invasion  and being in charge of a Prisoner of War Camp.  During his time with supply depots, he made his first contact with wooden pallets and their construction which was in its infancy and no one knew anything about.  But he had to palletize three million pounds of coffee and learned about pallets which would have a big impact on his life after the war.  His military career was distinguished as he served in several battles and campaigns, such as landing in Normandy on D-Day, Northern France, Rhineland and the Ardennes.  He was decorated several times during these campaigns.

In 1948, Dad decided to strike out on his own and started his own operation, THORNBURGH MANUFACTURING COMPANY in Thornburgh, VA.  He started with $50.00 and a rented fork lift, sold a contract to Continental Can Company and was on his way.  In 1951 he moved from rented facilities to his own site in Ladysmith, VA. .  He remained at this site until retiring, so to speak, in the 1980's.  In the mid 1950's, he had developed a number of mechanized machines for the pallet industry, but his greatest triumph was building the first assembly line to built pallets and becoming the largest manufacturer of pallets in the world.  He also was one of the earliest members of the National Wooden Pallet Manufacturer’s Association

Dad continued in this field of endeavor for many years until deciding to venture out into the machinery business, because no one supplied his industry with the automation it so badly needed.  His company supplied the most modern and highest production machinery available.  His ideas and philosophy are still a very dominant feature of the wooden pallet industry today.  His concept in business and personally was to be honest and honorable.

     At a time when others would retire Dad became a computer genius and started consulting and designing programs.  This he carried on until the end. 

Accomplishments continued with Dad through out his later life.  One feat he always wanted to do was to shoot a game of golf that was equal to or lower that his age.  In 1992, he did just that by shooting 78 and winning the Fredericksburg Super Seniors Golf Championship.  He continued to break his age until his health slowed him down in the last year.